Chocolete Icecream
by Jackiwi
Summary: Sam is having really bad day, and only one guy can turn it around


Disclaimer: There not mine, you should know that by know! MGM, Double Secret and GEKKO own 'erm. My story though! Spoilers: None that I can think of Notes: Wrote this today in mourning as I went to the freezer and found there was no ice-cream left! Hasn't been beta'd.you've been warned!  
  
Chocolate Ice-cream  
  
Major Samantha Carter sighed with frustration has her keys slipped through her fingers and landed with a clunk on the pavement flooring of her porch. She knew from the moment her alarm went off this morning that the day was gonna be a bad one. She knew the moment she opened the fridge and was meet by an unpleasant smell as took out the milk to pour on her oatmeal and found it was two days pasted its sell-by date, (thanks to the fact that she had been off world for the last week and was now sporting some very unattractive bruised ribs).  
  
Yep, her premonition had been right; she should have stayed in bed. After all, who wants to get out of bed whilst it's still dark, go without breakfast (she knew she should have gone shopping last night) and ride to work in driving rain and biting wind? Nevertheless she did it. She went to work, faced the day head on and meet with several obstacles because of it. The first being Captain Smithson, 5ft 6" with red hair, the guy knows how to handle a gun, but give him a report on the mining of a natural mineral source and he'll come knocking at your door.well, Sam Carter's anyway. The man didn't even have the report the right way up! Anyway, an hour and a lot of coffee later she's talked him through it.twice, and off he goes to prep for the mission.  
  
The growling of her empty stomach turns Sam's attention to food, and leaving her computer to run a test simulation she heads for the mess, but alas, only getting as far as the elevator before she is wanted by someone else.  
  
"Major Carter, report to the gate room" comes over the speakers near by and she closes her eyes, sighs and surrendering to idea of another hour or so without food, reaches down into her pocket and fumbles in amongst sweet wrappers, a pen and her wallet for her access card. Finally finding it she runs it through the machine and the doors in front of her open with an unhealthy sounding noise. 'if you breakdown on me, I cant be held accountable for my actions' she warns the tiny movable room before her as she steps inside and places her card in, pressing the button corresponding with that of the level of her destination.  
  
Arriving in the right place without trouble she steps out and cruses inwardly as she knocks over a busy technician carrying arm falls of paperwork (as they always are when you bump into people. Something to do with sods law, I think) Sam apologises profusely and helps the woman pick up the sprawled paper, surprised at how much it hurt to bend with a body that had taken a beating only twenty four hours prior and yet she had almost forgotten about it, until that moment that is. The technician goes on her way with a disgruntled look and an increased urgency in her step. Sam had to bite her lip to stop her from shouting, 'why don't you try looking where you're going next time' even though something told her it was probably her fault.  
  
Reaching the gate room at last, she was greeted by a hive of activity, much to her disliking. SF's and techs ran around the place looking like lost sheep, scientists walked in no particular direction scribbling on clipboards and trying to look like they had a clue, which they more than likely didn't.  
  
"What's going on sergeant?" she asks taking a seat next to the white haired chevron guy, (what? What else is she supposed to call him, no one knows he's name!)  
  
"The gate has shut down; we can't get anything out of it at all." He replies, not taking his eyes off his computer screen.  
  
Great, one of those emergencies! Just what she needed. "Have you tried running a full systems diagnostic?"  
  
"Yes ma'am, I'm doing that now. It'll be finished in thirty seconds." So there she sat for thirty seconds, wondering, 'if I'd run, I could have taken a detour and grabbed some food, and I probably wouldn't have knocked that girl over either'. The systems check finished and a list of errors as long as her arm came up. Again she sighed, stretching briefly before trying hard to focus her mind on fixing this damn gate and pretending she hadn't heard anything every time her stomach rumbled and the technician threw a sideways glance at her.  
  
Eight and a half hours later, she returns to her lab, shattered and annoyed. Thankfully though, her stomach was now full; the Colonel (who was quit clearly sent by god himself to be her knight in shinning armour) had stopped by after just two hours and offered to bring her coffee, to which she added her plea for sustenance and he brought her a baguette and some chips (he never was one for the healthy life style, but she didn't care what she was putting her to her body at that moment as long as it was edible!) turning her computer off and looking at the pile of work she had planed to get through today with resentment, she snatched her keys and resolved to get out of there as fast as she could.  
  
Unfortunately, an unsuspecting SF who had stopped her to ask her advice on his broken VCR had felt the length of her tongue as she snapped at him, telling him to call the shop like the rest of mankind had to do when something broke down. Adding to her already frayed mood, she then felt guilty for this, as she quit liked sergeant Holloway, and he was only young and had just got married, so he was probably getting grief to sort it out from his wife. Deciding she'd make it up to him tomorrow, she got changed and quickly left, stopped only by Jack, whose conversation was only this; "finally, the woman goes home! Get some sleep Carter, and don't come to work again without breakfast, I thought we were having an earthquake when I heard that stomach of yours!" Sam smiled sarcastically and kicked herself as she remembered she still had to do the shopping. "Does that mean if I'm not brave enough to face the supermarket tonight I don't have to come to work tomorrow?" she asked hopefully. "Goodnight Carter!" was his answer as he swapped places with her in the elevator and hit the button prompting the doors to close.  
  
The weather topside hadn't improved much during the day, as when she stepped out she immediately had to pull her coat tighter around herself. Making it to her bike, she pulled the water proof cover off of the seat and shoved in the box at the back, almost jamming her finger as the lid snapped shut. She put on her helmet, asking herself what possessed her to bring her bike in this weather, and made her way home, meeting a dark winter sky and the rush hour traffic. Once home she didn't even allow herself the chance to settle, as she knew that if she didn't she wouldn't move again for the rest of the night, so she came in, changed out of her leather which was socked, and picked up her car keys and purse before jumping in her car, cranking up the heat, turning the radio on and heading for the nearest shop.  
  
She hurried round with a small trolley and had to fight to actually get near the food counters. The shop was full of mad couples arguing over whether to buy instant or decaff coffee, single parents trying to control a family sized trolley and two screaming kids at the same time, and of course her favourite, the people who would randomly stop in the middle of an isle, making it impossible to pass, as they had a chat to probably the person who lived next door to them and whom they saw everyday, yet they only communicated like this. Almost an hour later of people bumping their cart into her's or worse, her, leaving her with a pair of legs to match her ribs, she had managed to scrape together what she hoped would keep her going for at least the next week or so.  
  
Queuing up, she wished the person in front would stop wasting time dithering over weather she wanted that CD or not, and the person behind would stop trying to push her forward with the end of his trolley whilst his partner had a screaming match with the kids. She could feel her head pounding. She hated shopping this time of year, with only a month an a half till Christmas to go. The fact that the shop had the same Christmas CD playing on loop for the entire festive season just served to create the retail equivalent of road rage amongst its staff that had to endure it day in day out.  
  
Finally the woman in front made up her mind not to have the CD, paid and left. Sam did her best to smile at the clerk and packed her stuff up as quickly as she could, not helped by the fact that the plastic carrier bags were almost impossible to open. She paid her money in cash, she couldn't be bothered to wait for printouts to sign and besides which, she wanted to save as much money on her card as possible so she could do all her Christmas shopping over the internet. If the supermarket was bad, she wasn't even going to attempt the mall.  
  
Finally, back were she started she picked up her dropped keys and stumbled inside her house, feeling around for the light switch which she promptly found and turn to the on position. A bright light illuminated her hallway long enough for her to put her keys down and turn around to go back to the car for the shopping, but just as she was about too, the bulb made a popping noise and room sunk into darkness again. Unable to control it anymore, she slammed the front door shut and shouted out, 'is this a test? Come on, would you just give me a break, please?" the ceiling didn't respond, but the sound of a car pulling up outside did. Sam rubbed the frustrated tears away from her skin and opened the door just as he was about to knock.  
  
"Carter, what are you doing in the dark?" O'Neill asked.  
  
"The bulb thought it would top off the perfect day and blow up. What are you doing here Sir?" she asks as he invites himself in and puts the porch light on so they could at least see a little.  
  
"Thought you could use a little.cheering up after today." He chose his words carefully. "But if your not in the mood, just tell me, I'll go." He adds seeing the half smile on her face and reading it message.  
  
"Colonel, there's nothing I'd like better right now than some cheering up, but I still have to get the shopping in, sort dinner out, get rid of whatever it is that's lurking at the back of my fridge that's probably a century out of date of the smell of things and iron my BDU's for tomorrow! Plus, I have to write a report on the gate breakdown today." Her shoulders slump as it hits her how much she still has to do before she can finally crawl back to bed and pretend today never happened.  
  
"Well, I can't help you with the report, but the rest should be a piece of cake." He smiles broadly. "Come on, first things first, where do you keep the bulbs?"  
  
"Top of the washing cupboard, next to the torches." She says with a hint of defeat in her voice. Minutes later the hall is once again filled with light as the pair run in and out carrying bags of shopping. In no time it's in and put away (thankfully she'd made sure she dealt with the bathroom bag. Shampoo, bubble bath, a new razor and certain other things she was glad he didn't see!) Taking their wet coats off, Sam hangs them both by the door and turns the heat up trying to warm the skin the icy rain had hammered down on.  
  
"Look, why don't you go jump in the bath for a while. I'll sort out some dinner and call you when it's ready." Jack offers as he see's her shivers and soaked skin.  
  
"I couldn't ask you to do that" she replies half heartedly  
  
"You didn't, I offered. Go on! Before you catch a cold."  
  
"If you're sure?"  
  
"Carter!" he's tone turns from friendly to a warning, "don't make me make it an order!"  
  
She smiles the biggest smile she had mustered all day and leaves him to it, only half praying she'd still have kitchen when she got back. The bubbles and hot water served to ease her tight, sore muscles and the scent of the lavender relaxed and eased her mind. 'Thanks Janet' she thought she remembered that the bubble bath had been a present from her doctor to calm her down and help her sleep. Toughly warmed through and feeling a bit less like the world was ganging up on her and a bit more like she could kick the worlds butt, she stepped out at the sound of Jacks soft knock and began to get dry, wrapping herself in her blue bath robe and scrubbing her hair with a white towel. Back in her bedroom she couldn't be bothered to get dressed again, and she was sure he wouldn't mind, so she put her favourite night shirt on (a large hockey sweater that once belonged to Mark) and pulled her navy blue sweats on.  
  
She arrived in the kitchen to a hot plate of stir-fry and pasta, a spotless work top, so you wouldn't know it had been cooked there (the sounds of pans clanging and the occasional swear word told her he hadn't cheated and ordered it in!) and there hanging above the kitchen door were tomorrows BDU's, ironed and looking better than she'd seem them look in a long time.  
  
"Wow, colonel! You didn't have to go to this much trouble, but.thank you. You don't know how much it means to me"  
  
"Ah, it was nothing! Now eat up, you don't want it to get cold." Indicating to the table where only one place was set.  
  
"Aren't you having any?" she asks as she sits down and picks up her folk.  
  
"I ate earlier. Besides I have to get going. I have a fair bit of my own paperwork to do, much to my distaste as you know." They share a smile and the colonel stands from his resting position against the sideboard. "Well, eat up; I don't want you wasting away on me. I'll see myself out." He hunts round for a second with his eyes, locating his keys and then begins to leave.  
  
"Colonel." He stops next to her and looks down on her, her small frame looking fragile in the shirt that swamped her. "Thank you" but this time it wasn't for the food or the cleaning he'd done, it was just for.well, being there I guess.  
  
He places a warm hand on her shoulder and replies her with both words and a look at matches hers, "anytime." She places sleeve covered hand on top of his and for a second they share the moment, but then it ends and he takes he's hand from under hers, picks up he's slightly dryer than before coat and leaves, smiling as he closes the door.  
  
Sam turns her attention back to her meal and tucks in, noting that the colonel is rather good at cooking. When she is finished she washes the plate and leaves it to drain on the side, and decides to tackle the fridge, only to find it's already been done, and there, on the middle shelf to the right is a large tub of chocolate ice-cream with a series of post-it notes stuck to it.  
  
It was the tuna at the back that was stinking the place out. I got rid of it. Don't even think about that paperwork Carter, and that's an order, if Hammond gives you grief, I'll take the rap. There's a movie in the machine, 'You've got mail' I thought you'd like it, ever notice how Meg Ryan looks just like you? Anyway, take this, and chill! (Do ya get it? Chill! Lol) I'll see you tomorrow! Love Jack  
  
She reached in and took out the ice-cream, unable to hide and unwilling to banish the large grin on her face. Maybe this day wasn't so bad after all. She grabbed a spoon and turned off the kitchen light on her way to the lounge. Putting the tall lamp on next to the sofa, she settled down and hit the play button on the remote, helping herself to some ice-cream as the opening credits began to role onto the screen.  
  
The End  
  
REVIEW.PLEASE! Not that I'm begging or anything! 


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